Chandigarh, Feb 14: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Friday following the arrest of a local leader in Batala for alleged drug consumption. Gurkirat Singh, popularly known as Kalu, was reportedly caught consuming heroin and subsequently booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, sparking a fresh political row in the state.
AAP Punjab Chief Spokesperson and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal stated that the incident has pulled the mask off the Congress party at a juncture when Punjab is engaged in a decisive struggle against the drug menace. He pointed out that the accused is a known associate of senior Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, noting that several photographs of the two individuals together have surfaced publicly.
“Congress leaders keep giving lectures on everything, but their own people are being caught with drugs,” Dhaliwal mentioned during a press interaction in Chandigarh. He further noted that the repeated involvement of Congress functionaries in such cases raises significant concerns regarding the party’s internal discipline and its commitment to the welfare of the state.
The Chief Spokesperson directly said that the people of Punjab deserve accountability, as individuals holding organizational positions within the Congress are frequently linked to narcotics. He asserted that while the opposition party attempts to question the government’s performance, its own cadre remains under the scanner for illegal activities.
Reaffirming the state’s stance on the issue, Dhaliwal mentioned that the current administration is maintaining a zero-tolerance policy. He said that the “Yudh Nashean Virudh” campaign is designed to target every level of the drug trade without bias or political interference.
“The AAP government has launched a strict war against drugs and no one will be spared,” the MLA said. He added that whether an individual is influential or not, the law will take its course against anyone found selling or consuming prohibited substances.
